23 Best Things to Do in Austin, Texas

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The Boardwalk Trail at Lady Bird Lake creates a complete circuit around the lake and is one of the oldest urban hike-and-bike trails in Texas. Circling the lake, a reservoir on the Colorado River that lies in the heart of the city, the 10.1-mile (16.3 km) trail was designed for the people of Austin to enjoy the outdoors and the beautiful lakeside setting by walking, jogging, running or cycling.

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Located within Zilker Park near downtown Austin on the south bank of the Colorado River, Zilker Botanical Garden stretches across 26 acres of mixed topography, offering suitable homes and diverse habitats for both native and exotic plants. This beautiful green oasis in the heart of the city combines theme gardens of roses, herbs, lilies, and succulents, and there is also a Japanese garden connected with waterfalls, streams, and ponds filled with fish. Each individual garden feels like a separate world, and they flow from one to the other.

The Hartman Prehistoric Garden, a favorite among visitors, recreates the world in which the dinosaurs lived. There is also a blacksmith's The Austin Area Garden Center manages the garden and organizes a range of activities, programs, and events such as an annual spring garden festival.

2220 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78746, Phone: 512-477-8672

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Named after its founder, Texas Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock, the Bullock Texas State History Museum is located just a few blocks from the Texas State Capitol. The museum consists of three main themes with interactive exhibits: the first floor tells the story of how Texas was founded; the second floor explains how the state came about and the history behind its name; and the top floor deals with the subject of opportunity. The museum features the modern, 200-seat Texas Spirit Theater, which offers special effects presentations and shows that take audiences on an unforgettable journey through the history of Texas, as well as a state-of-the-art IMAX theater with 2-D and 3-D capabilities.

1800 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701, Phone: 512-936-4629

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The Blanton Museum of Art is the official art museum and research center of the University of Texas and one of largest university art museums in the United States. Home to over 17,000 works from all over the globe, the Blanton Museum of Art features European masters, American and Contemporary art, and Latin American art. The Museum aims to serve as a “cultural gateway” between the university and the community through versatile and innovative exhibitions, displays and galleries, as well as educational workshops, multimedia programs, lectures, and discussions.

200 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Austin, TX 78712, Phone: 512-471-5482

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Located at the historic Browning Hangar on Airport Boulevard in picturesque Mueller Park, Texas Farmers' Market at Mueller is one of the most popular Austin farmers markets. It is the favorite place of many for hanging out on Sunday, meeting friends and neighbors, shopping, stocking up on fresh veggies, trying some delicious artisan foods, and enjoying the day outdoors.

There is always live music and a range of activities, and more than 40 local vendors sell seasonal fruits and vegetables, cheeses, meats, baked goods, home-made products, and specialty foods. A non-profit F2M with a goal of providing residents of Austin with healthy, economical food and fostering the environmental benefits of shopping locally and eating seasonal foods manages the market.

4209 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78722, Phone: 512-363-5700

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The 351-acre Zilker Metropolitan Park is a beautiful spot walks, jogging and sightseeing. The park is home to Zilker Botanical Gardens, the Austin Nature and Science Center, Zilker Hillside Theatre, and the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum. Barton Springs Pool measures three acres in size and enjoys an average temperature of 68-70 degrees, making it extremely popular for year-round swimming. Discovered by Spanish explorers in the 17th Century, the spring that feeds the pool is the fourth largest in Texas and was made into a swimming pool by the city in 1920. The swimming pool has seen its fair share of visitors, including Robert Redford, who learned to swim in it when he was five years old. Today, the pool sees thousands of visitors every year. Due to the high traffic volume, Barton Springs Pool is closed every Thursday for rigorous cleaning. Adjacent to the pool’s bathhouse is an exciting educational exhibit called “Splash!” where visitors can learn about the history of the pool and the spring which feeds it.

2100 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, Texas 78704

Read more: Best Time to Visit Austin, Texas & Other Travel Tips.

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One of the ten oldest theatres in the country, ZACH Theatre was founded in 1932 and is Texas’ longest-running theatre company. Located on the tranquil shores of Lady Bird Lake, the historic theatre boasts three stages, several event spaces, and a range of offices, classrooms and halls that can be used for private functions. Home to more than 300 actors, musicians, and designers who produce more than 500 performances a year, the ZACH delights over 100,000 patrons annually with a variety of classic plays, musicals and original works, and runs educational and outreach programs for more than 50,000 children.

202 South Lamar, Austin, Texas 78704, Phone: 512-476-0541

More things to do in Austin: 10 Must-Try Lunch and Dinner Spots in Austin

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South Congress Avenue is one of Austin's hippest neighborhoods with an eclectic range of shops, boutiques, restaurants, antique stores, music venues, galleries, and food trucks. The neighborhood, bordered by the historic neighborhoods of Travis Heights and Bouldin Creek, stretches between Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge and the Colorado River. The avenue and the neighborhood that grew around it share a colorful history. Designed in 1830 to be one of the city's main thoroughfares, it grew in popularity between 1930 and 1960 with the addition of the iconic Austin Motel, the Hotel San José, and the hamburger stand that eventually became the famous Night Hawk.

Artists and musicians discovered South Congress in the 70's and made it their home. After a period of decline due to the construction of new roads into the city, South Congress experienced a revival in the 1990s, growing into one of the city's most lively and popular neighborhoods. South Congress is one of the best spots to see or photograph the Texas State Capitol, as it offers a spectacular, unobstructed view. Next read: TX beaches

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The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a 279-acre botanical garden located about 10 miles from downtown Austin on the edge of the Texas Hill Country. The center serves as a research unit of the University of Texas at Austin and is entirely focused on native plants.

The garden is home to over 700 species of plants native to central Texas, and the center hosts a range of temporary exhibits of photography and visual art. The garden features a number of walking trails, outdoor sculptures, formal as well as research plantings, and special educational exhibits. Once a year, the center offers native plants for sale.

4801 La Crosse Ave, Austin, TX 78739, Phone: 512-232-0100

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The Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge is the bridge across Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas. This concrete arch bridge has three vehicle lanes in both directions and sidewalks on both sides. When its first span was built in the 19^th century, the bridge used to cross Colorado River and was called the Congress Avenue Bridge until the Longhorn Dam created Lady Bird Lake in 1960.

The bridge is home to the largest urban bat colony in the world with 1.5 million bats. As they emerge every night from their nests, they attract a huge number of observers. To provide a safe and comfortable area for seeing the bats, The Austin American-Statesman created the Statesman Bat Observation Center next to the Congress Bridge.

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Located on the southwest edge of Austin, the Austin Zoo is a private non-profit Hill Country zoo with big goals: to help animals in need by rescuing and rehabilitating them and to educate the public about animal needs and challenges. The 15-acre establishment started its life in 1990 as a goat ranch called Good Day Ranch. By 1994, the ranch had a number of wild animals and in 2000 it became Austin Zoo. About 300 animals from more than 100 species call this zoo home.

They come from other facilities that weren't able to keep them due to health, age, or other issues, and they also include animals seized in cases of animal cruelty, retired lab research animals, and private exotic pets whose owners could not keep them anymore. There are lions, tigers, bobcats, bears, wolfs, monkeys, reptiles, birds and domestic animals. There is a small train that provides a 20-minute scenic ride through the zoo. Travelers can see some animals such alpacas, emus, and longhorns in their native habitats.

10808 Rawhide Trail, Austin, TX 78736, Phone: 512-288-1490

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Located just next to the W Austin Hotel & Residences, Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater is Austin's best known and most popular venue for live performances, with almost 100 concerts per year and a large number of special events. This state-of-the art theater has a 2,750-person capacity and is the permanent location for the taping of the longest running American music series Austin City Limits.

The eclectic program includes big music names such as Buena Vista Social Club, Lyle Lovett, Alice Cooper, and Cindi Lauper. On the theatre's Mezzanine level is the Keller Pfluger Gallery with the photography of Austin City Limits' staff photographer Scott Newton. The theatre is located within Block 21, the world's first mixed-occupancy building to be LEED or green certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

2nd Street District, 310 W Willie Nelson Blvd, Austin, TX 78701, Phone: 512-225-7999

© Texas Memorial Museum

Texas Memorial Museum at the University of Texas at Austin is Austin's first science museum. The museum was opened in 1939, and its temporary and permanent exhibits today hold over five million specimens, from dinosaurs and fossilized animals to gems, minerals, and modern wildlife specimens. The specimens are collected during geological and paleontological fieldwork of the scientists of University of Texas at Austin, but also from occasional public donations.

Exhibits focus on evolution, prehistoric life, minerals, rocks, and Texas wildlife. The Hall of Geology and Paleontology has more than 500 dinosaurs and fossils. The Great Hall features the museum's most valuable specimens, such as the flying reptile Quetzalcoatalus northropi, the Texas Pterosaur, found in West Texas.

2400 Trinity St, Austin, TX 78705, Phone: 512-471-1604

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William Sydney Porter, penname O. Henry, was an American writer of short stories known for their quirky characters, plot twists, dry wit, wordplay, and surprise endings. The O. Henry Museum in Austin collects and interprets documents, objects, and artifacts from his life, offering a glimpse into Porter's life during his Austin years when he started using the penname O. Henry.

It was also during this period that he began writing the short stories that would make him famous, including classics such as "The Ransom of Red Chief, " "Gifts of the Magi," and "The Cop and the Anthem." The bungalow that houses the museum is the place in which O. Henry lived with his wife and daughter between 1893 and 1895 before moving to Houston. The house was opened as a museum in 1934 and contains many period pieces, including Porter's furniture and personal articles. While mostly associated with North Carolina, his home state, O. Henry set 42 of his short stories in Texas.

409 E 5th St, Austin, TX 78701, Phone: 512-472-1903

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Only 13 miles from the Texas State Capitol is McKinney Falls State Park, where you can hike, camp, bike, geocache, rock climb, fish, swim, and picnic. You can also sit on the bank of Onion Creek and watch its waters fall over limestone ledges into cool, clear pools. You can bike or hike almost nine miles of trails.

Take the 2.8-mile Onion Creek Trail if you are pushing a stroller, as this trail is paved. Hikers can take the Rock Shelter Trail to see early visitors' camps. Drop your fishing line into Onion or Williamson Creeks, visit the ruins of an early Texas homestead, or stay in one of 81 campsites.

5808 McKinney Falls Pkwy, Austin, TX 78744, Phone: 512-243-1643

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The Barton Creek Greenbelt located in south-central Austin is a 7.25-mile long public area that stretches from Zilker Park through what is commonly referred to as "The Hill of Life," ending in the subdivision Woods of Westlake. The Greenbelt has three distinct areas: the Upper Greenbelt, the Lower Greenbelt, and the Barton Creek Wilderness Park.

It is known for its huge limestone cliffs, dense forests, and shallow creeks and brooks. The Barton Creek Greenbelt contains 12.68 miles of wonderful hiking and biking trails, fantastic limestone bluffs perfect for rock climbing, and, when the water in the creek is high, several nice swimming holes. There are several public access points to the Greenbelt, but you might need a local or a map to find them.

3755 S Capital of Texas Hwy B, Austin, TX 78704, Phone: 512-243-1643

© Neill-Cochran Museum House

The Neill-Cochran House depicts the history of Austin through the lives of several prominent Austin citizens who lived in the house from the mid-19th through early 20th centuries. Through the changes in styles, furnishings, household items, and art, we can follow the changes in Austin's economy and politics. The house, built in the Greek Revival style, was constructed in 1855 for young land surveyor Washington Hill and his family on 18 acres of land located northwest of Austin.

After Hills, the Texas Asylum for the Blind occupied the house, followed by the Lieutenant Governor of Texas Fletcher Stockdale and the Federal Army under George Custer. When the Neill family bought the house in 1876, they furnished it with high quality walnut furniture. Lawyer Thomas and his wife Bessie Cochran first rented the house, later buying it in 1895. Four generations of Cochrans lived in the house, witnessing huge social changes in the country that left significant imprints. The family sold the house in 1958 to the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Texas, who opened it to the public.

2310 San Gabriel St, Austin, TX 78705, Phone: 512-478-2335

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Located on the edge of Zilker Park, the Austin Nature and Science Center is a 80-acre facility opened in 1960 to provide nature exhibits, educational activities, and recreation to Austinites of all ages, raising awareness of the natural environment.

It is also a beautiful green outdoor oasis in the heart of the city where residents and visitors can discover local wildlife, learn how to dig for fossils in the Dino Pit, discover natural treasures in the Naturalist Workshop, hike through the Zilker Nature Preserve. or participate in one of many educations program. A range of indoor and outdoor interactive exhibits teach about the outdoors and provide information on the central Texas environment, offer replicas of fossils and dinosaur tracks, and introduce nanotechnology. The center offers exciting family adventures, nature camps, and much more.

2389 Stratford Dr, Austin, TX 78746, Phone: 512-974-3888

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The Texas Capitol is one of the most impressive state capitols in the country. It is a National Historic Landmark and is registered on the National Register of Historic Places. When Austin was established as the capital of Texas in 1839, the capitol building was a two-room log cabin with an eight-foot fence to protect it from Indian raids. The new capitol, designed by Elijah E. Myers in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, was completed in 1888. It is 308 feet tall, taller than the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The building is mostly made of Oak Hill limestone and is today an integral part of downtown Austin.

The main entrance faces the Congress Avenue Historic District. It has 360,000 square feet of floor space, occupying 2.25 acres of land. The building has almost four hundred rooms and nine hundred windows. The central rotunda features a gallery of portraits of all presidents from and governors of Texas. There is a large painting of David Crockett in the south foyer.as well as sculptures of Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston.

1100 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701, hone: 512-463-0063

© Cannon and Belle

Cannon and Belle is an inventive farm-to-table restaurant in Austin, named in honor of local luminary Angelina Belle Eberly, a hero of the Texas Archive War. The restaurant, which opened within the Hilton Austin Hotel in 2016, is anchored around a brick pizza oven and showcases seasonal menus at brunch, lunch, and dinner, focusing on hearty comfort fare with healthy twists. Handcrafted pizzas range from traditional favorites such as margherita and white pizzas to clever concoctions such as barbecue short rib pizzas with caramelized onions and pecorino. Land and sea entrees include creative fare such as ancho chili espresso-rubbed ribeye, cornmeal-crusted salmon with okra succotash, and the restaurant's signature Belle Burger, prepared with pimento cheese and tender belly habanero bacon. An indoor biergarten and extensive craft cocktail program is complemented by non-alcoholic favorites such as Ktonic Kombucha and Little City cold brew coffee.

500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701, Phone: 512-493-4900

© Thundercloud Subs

ThunderCloud Subs is a popular Austin neighborhood sub shop known for its fresh, delicious subs. With six locations in Austin, they must be doing something right. All locations are spacious and clean, with colorful décor and comfortable seating. The subs are made on the freshly baked bread from the local bakery. They slice their cheeses and cold cuts and make spreads from scratch. The eggs are organic and most ingredients are local. The range of subs is large but their signature sub with turkey, ham and bacon is by far the most popular, while vegetarians enjoy a delicious combo of cream cheese or humus, avocado, tomatoes, sprouts, onions, mushrooms, cucumbers and black olives. They also offer lunch boxes and party trays.

3601 W William Cannon Dr, Austin, TX 78749, Phone: 512-891-6782

© La Holly

La Holly is a hip cantina in East Austin, housed within a converted former dive bar space on Sixth Street. The restaurant cultivates a quirky atmosphere with custom-designed furniture, vintage decor, and a xeriscaped outdoor beer garden space. Extensive drink menus offer something for everyone, with a focus on agave-based spirits such as mezcal, tequila, raicilla, bacanora, and sotol. Craft cocktails highlight housemade syrups, tropical fruit, and hints of spice, served up alongside the cantina's signature spicy frozen margaritas and traditional favorites such as bloody marys. A rotating lineup of Texas craft beers is complemented by wine selections from regional boutique wineries. Though the cantina itself does not serve food, regional food trucks such as Taco Flats and Dee Dee Thai are frequently parked on site for diners to enjoy.

2500 East 6th Street, Austin, TX 78702, Phone: 512-215-9949

© Mexic-Arte Museum

Mexic-Arte Museum was founded in 1984 in order to share the culture and art of Mexico with Texas. Artists Sylvia Orozco, Pio Pulido, and Sam Coronado established the museum in the Arts Warehouse in downtown Austin. From its opening, the museum started offering superb cultural programs and art by the best emerging and established artists from the United States, Mexico, and Latin America.

In 1988, Mexic-Arte Museum moved into its current location in order to expand its exhibitions and programs. It is one of the very few Mexican art museums in the United States, and through original exhibitions and exceptional educational programming, it became one of the most respected art institutions in the area. The permanent collection of the museum includes over 1500 works of Mexican, Latino, and Latin American art and material culture. The Mexic-Arte Museum welcomes and encourages emerging Latino artists through programs such as the Young Latino Artists exhibition.

Frost Bank Tower Executive Health Club, 419 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701, Phone: 512-480-9373